A Night in the Hospital Wing With Sirius
by FontGirl
Summary: A short story centering around a prolonged hospital stay following a Quidditch accident. James realizes that sometimes unconsciousness is preferable to spending a night in the hospital wing with his best friend. COMPLETE
1. Bludgers, Blood, and Broken Bones

James ran a hand across his rain-splattered glasses, and gave an excited shout. The new Slytherin Chaser had been struck by lightening, leaving him wide open to intercept the Quaffle. He slowly pulled both legs up and placed his feet one after another on his broomstick, rising up slowly. He took both hands off of his broom, so that he was no longer holding onto his broom with any part of his body. He was standing, drawn up to his full height, balanced on the broomstick zooming through the air at full speed. There was a collective gasp from the audience below. His hands were now inches away…centimeters…he grabbed it…

There was another gasp from the crowd, but James' didn't realize this gasp was one of horror, not awe. James' didn't hear Sirius' panicked shout or they many bloodcurdling screams from below. James lifted one foot off of the broom and stood with the other foot on the very tip of the broomstick. So intent on making a spectacular play, he didn't see the bludger coming straight at him; he had no time to react. The bludger hit him dead center in his chest…his right fist closed…there was a resounding crack…James fell back, winded…but he still had the Quaffle, so everything would be OK…

_Mental note: always look out for bludgers._ He thought dazedly to himself.

"PRONGS!" Sirius roared in horror, shoving a strand of wet hair out of his eyes and zooming towards his best friend, trying his best to keep his broom straight in the midst of the powerful winds which threatened to blow him off course. He was practically on the opposite side of the field. He silently thanked his parents—the first time in his life he ever had an urge to thank them for anything—for having bought him a top-of-the-line racing broom.

Faculty and students alike were on their feet, watching the scene before them unfold, shocked. Remus had already begun running down the stands towards the pitch, too shocked to even shout. Halfway there he froze and just pointed up at the dark, gloomy sky, too stunned to speak. He couldn't believe what was seeing. It was horrible…

Sirius reached James just in time to hit a second bludger away with his beater's bat… But his protection mission went very wrong, very fast. He hit the second bludger away, yes, but the first bludger in the meantime had been blown right back towards him and smashed into the side of his own face, for he had flown right into its path. Injured, and taken completely by surprise, Sirius accidentally dropped his bat and was nearly catapulted from his broom. He slammed down hard, striking his back before his hands left the broomstick, and he was practically hanging upside down, holding on with only his feet.

Now it was James' turn to help Sirius, but before he could, the wayward bludger slammed right into the back of his head. The cracking sound that followed this hit was even louder than the first, and it sent a fine spray of red mist into the air, which was immediately obscured by the rain. James, no longer conscious, fell backwards, the Quaffle dropping from his hand...

* * *

"So then I managed to swing back onto my broom, but just as I was all settled and dropping into a dive to go after him, the second bludger slammed right into my right arm and side!" Sirius exclaimed proudly, to a horrorstruck Madam Pomfrey. "It was brilliant! Absolutely brilliant, if I do say so myself. And I do."

"I have _told_ Albus time and again that the sport should be disbanded, but does he ever listen?" Madam Pomfrey muttered, as she went about getting everything ready to heal Sirius' wounds.

"Moony, didja see it? Didja?" Sirius gabbed excitedly, his tone slightly slurred from the injury sustained to his face, but he didn't seem to be bothered by the pain. He was on too much of an adrenaline rush to feel such trifles as pain…

Remus, having just entered the hospital wing, accompanied by Dumbledore, Peter, the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, responded, sounding very subdued, "Yeah, I did."

"Wasn't I brilliant? When I went into that one handed dive—"

Peter nodded, hanging on his every word, while Remus listened patiently and seemed to be questioning his sanity.

"Now, no more of this!" Madam Pomfrey chided, bustling over, her arms full of various first aid supplies which she deposited in the spare bed next to Sirius. "I have to fix you up, so I need you to be still?"

"Still?" Sirius asked her, frowning. That was not exactly what he had in mind after just playing one of the most exciting games of his life.

"Yes, _still_! I want you to sit there and _not move_, which means that I want no more talking out of you!"

Sirius rolled his eyes and chattered on, pointedly ignoring her.

"—and I grabbed his robes and it seemed so much easier than I thought it would be—"

"I said _no talking_!" Madam Pomfrey barked.

"—and I saw that Prongs' dropped it has it fell, but Copice grabbed it and chucked it through the hoop anyway—" Sirius persisted, laughing slightly in remembrance of James having won the game for them in spite of everything, and wincing as he did so, for his side and not yet been healed.

"Sirius, maybe it would be a good idea to follow the nurse's orders, hmm?" Dumbledore suggested.

"But Professor, wasn't my save amazing?"

Dumbledore smiled warmly at him, eyes twinkling. "Well, certainly—one of the more spectacular moves I've seen in my time—" Sirius preened. "However, I daresay it would be more beneficial for you to get healed and rested up. Then you'll be able to tell your thrilling tale to any and all without anyone to stop you."

Sirius seemed to weigh the merits of this suggestion, before finally nodding his head slightly. "I can live with that." He turned to Madam Pomfrey and said expectantly, "OK, bring on the healing."

She pursed her lips and approached him with her wand in one hand and a bunch of bandages in the other, before ushering everyone else out.


	2. Still and Slient

James groaned slightly as he stirred. He instantly wished that he had not awoken from his peaceful slumber, for the pain in his head was nearly unbearable. However much he longed for the soft throes of unconsciousness, he knew that it was time to face…whatever it was that had made him feel like he had been stomped on by a herd of hippogriffs. He remembered having made a stylized grab for the Quaffle…then getting a bludger to the chest…and attempting to help Sirius…but that was all. _Was it another bludger?_ He wondered, reaching for his glasses. _It must've been._

The first thing James noticed was Sirius sitting up in the bed, next to him, awake and restless, as Madam Pomfrey bandaged his torso. He already sported bandages aplenty; the right half of his face and the top of his head were completely covered by bandages and his nose was wrapped in gauze. He was fidgeting, a put-upon expression on the part of his face that James could see, while his one good eye roved around the room, surveying what he seemed to feel was his prison. His left arm was bandaged as well, and was in a sling tied around his neck. When Sirius realized James was awake, he bounced slightly in the bed, smiling and waved his right hand at him, which promptly earned him a stern rebuke from Madam Pomfrey, and a plea to "just sit still."

"Oh, you're awake, are you?" Madam Pomfrey asked briskly, glancing over at him.

"Unfortunately." James mumbled, his voice thick.

"How are you feeling?"

"I've been better…much better." He responded groggily.

"That is undoubtedly accurate."

"Hey…did we win?" James asked abruptly.

"What?"

"Did we beat Slytherin? The whole game is sort of hazy to me…"

Sirius tried to snap his fingers adamantly at James, but as he had always been hopeless at snapping, it came out more like a soft flicking sound, so James paid it no attention.

"You suffered severe head trauma; that your memory is not perfect right now is no surprise."

"Er, yeah, but did we win?"

Sirius grunted, in response.

James turned towards him, confused as to why his friend would not just _tell_ him what was going on, frowned at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" He questioned.

Sirius, wanting to convey to James how _he_ had saved him, and how they had won the game, made a wild one-handed gesture which James assumed to be was him falling from his broom, then pointed at himself, and gave James a thumbs up.

"So we did win?"

Sirius nodded his head vigorously, and Madam Pomfrey chastised him again. "Honestly, one would think when someone told you not to move or you'll injure yourself worse, then _you would not move_." Madam Pomfrey muttered.

"He never was one for following orders. Or rules." James told her, then added, as an afterthought. "Or the law."

"Don't I know that!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed. "Although I could say the same for you. You're both in here all the time for not following directions."

Sirius rolled the one eye not covered by bandages.

"At least he's doing one thing right! I told him not to talk and he has yet to talk."

"Why can't he talk?" James asked, nodding at Sirius. He winced as a sharp pain came up from the base of his skull. _Mental note: don't nod. It doesn't feel very good._

"He received a bad injury to the side of the face, sustained in that dreadful game. I had to give him something to grow back some teeth and heal other oral wounds." She replied matter-of-factly. "A bludger to the face is no laughing matter." She frowned at him. "Nor are bludgers to the skull."

"I guess playing Quidditch in the middle of thunderstorms with heavy winds don't always end nicely?" James suggested wryly. "The winds kept blowing the brooms—and bludgers—off course."

Madam Pomfrey frowned at him. "The _sport_—a term I use loosely—is too dangerous for any of you children to play, no matter the weather. I get more serious injuries from Quidditch than any potion or charm mishap!"

James thought it would be wise to not reply to the embittered tirade.

She finished bandaging Sirius, and turned around to fully survey James. "Is there anything you need?"

"Drugs of some sort." James responded, half-joking. Off of her stern, disapproving look, he added, "er, I mean something to dull this throbbing in my skull."

"Well, I'll be with you as soon as I finished with this troublemaker, here…and done, finally!" Madam Promfrey announced.

Sirius saluted her with his good hand. Madam Pomfrey shook her head with relief at being rid of Sirius, as she came over to James. Sirius grinned. Without even turning around, Madam Pomfrey chastised him, again.

"I told you not to move your mouth, unless you want the whole process to have to start again."

Sirius crossed his good arm and his arm in a sling obstinately.

"Stop moving your body in general!"

It was amazing how Sirius was able to convey his extreme annoyance with Madam Pomfrey to James, with only one eye.

_Mental note: Silent Sirius might be a great improvement..._

* * *

A/N: OK, now I'm back on track. Sorry for the errors in the first chapter. Thank you for those who pointed them out, they have all been fixed I hope. The problem was that I have a whole bunch of random events written from later on in the Marauders' time at Hogwarts, and I wanted to break them up into different short stories to post, so I am re-writing and editing older work. Thanks for the understanding, and I think it will all flow much better now.


	3. An Unexpected Visitor

"So I heard you're still alive."

James' head snapped up at the sound of the voice, excited, yet not sure if he had imagined it.

"I might be slightly crestfallen at the fact, except that would require my actually caring."

James' eyes lit up and a smile burst onto his face as he shoved away the book he was reading and turned to face his visitor. "LILY! Hi!"

Lily looked genuinely surprised at the greeting. "Who are you and what have you done with James Potter?" She asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Er...come again?"

"Did you get brain damage, Potter?"

James cocked his head, frowning slightly. "I'm still waiting to find out on that, actually. Why?"

Lily blushed slightly. "Sorry." She said contritely, the harsh edge in her voice which always appeared when she talked to James abated considerably. "It's just that I'm just a bit shocked at my welcome. A "Hi Lily"? What happened to the usual 'so, want to go out with me, Evans?'"

James smirked at her. "I decided to try for a new angle today. Figured a nice, warm, greeting might be the way to your heart. It's a theory I'm trying out anyway."

"Just how badly did you hurt your head, exactly?"

"I took a good hit, why?"

"Because you would never have actually greeted me like a sane human being instead of a chauvinistic pig before this instance."

"Oh, don't fret, I'll ask you out later. I'm waiting for the perfect moment."

Lily gave a halting laugh. "Well save your breath, the answer is still going to be 'no'."

"I'll take my chances, thanks."

A sort of half-smile passed over Lily's face. "As you wish, I suppose. Though I am surprised that your fragile male ego has not taken a bigger hit from the constant rebukes. Don't you ever get tired of being turned down, Potter?"

"Nope. You'll change your mind eventually. And come now, if I can call you 'Lily' you can call me by something other than my surname, too. Give a little to get a little, Lil."

"Lily is fine, but don't ever call me 'Lil' again, _James_."

"I'll try and remember that, _Lily_. The nickname just sounded better with the rhythm of the sentence. And Sirius calls you 'Lil' all the time, why can't I?"

"Because Sirius is a special case. Even knocking him unconscious—repeatedly—has yet to get it into his head that I don't like that nickname. Speaking of which, where is your second-in-command?"

James raised an eyebrow at her and nodded towards the bed next to him, where Sirius lay still and staring at the ceiling. Lily jumped slightly.

"I didn't even realize he was there!" She peered at him curiously. "Why is he so quiet? And calm? How badly was he hurt?"

James glanced over at him unconcernedly. "Oh, _that_. Yeah, I reckon Pomfrey cast the Full Body Bind on him."

"But that's—she's not allowed—teachers can't use magic on students!" Lily sputtered, looking scandalized, as if everything in the world no longer made any sense.

"I think Dumbledore gave her permission." James responded nonchalantly, shrugging slightly. "That's what it sounded like."

"Why aren't you more upset?"

"Well it's disappointing not to have someone to talk to, but I couldn't talk to him before that either, so it's really much the same. Except now he isn't poking me every two seconds in order to gesticulate wildly and incomprehensibly, while I nod and pretend to understand what he means. Poor Padfoot, he always was horrible at charades." James explained a bit forlornly, casting a pitying look in Sirius' direction. He reached over and patted Sirius on the top of the head affectionately—like one might pet a dog. "Besides, you're here now, O Prettiest of Flowers." He exclaimed suddenly, eyes lighting up.

Lily snorted. "I really am starting think you addled your brain—well, worse than it was before."

"We shall see, won't we?" James responded challengingly. "So what really brings you here? Is it my charming smile? My beautiful eyes? My pleasing manner? No, wait, let me guess, it must be my ruggedly handsome good looks!"

Lily actually laughed, surprising—and pleasing—James greatly. "Ruggedly handsome? Come now, to be "ruggedly handsome" one would first have to be _handsome._ And furthermore, since when have you _ever_ been rugged? When in your life?"

"Oh ouch! I happen to be very rugged, Miss Evans. Everyone says so."

"And by "everyone", I'm assuming you mean Sirius?"

"No, actually. Sirius usually just laughs and gives me a funny look."

"Then who says that?"

"Everyone else ever."

"I'm sure." Lily responded sarcastically. "You do realize, however, that one would have to go through puberty first, wouldn't they?"

"Hey now. I'm sixteen, of course I've gone through puberty."

"You could have fooled me."

James rolled his eyes at her. "Ah, Lily, you just do not understand the complexity of man."

"So you're a man now, all of a sudden?"

"Yes. And before you start giggling again like a schoolgirl," James delighted for an instant at the little flash of annoyance which flickered across her face. She hadn't thrown anything yet, or hit him, which meant that maybe his odds were improving.

"I don't—" She began, but James interrupted her.

"Why was it that you stopped by, if it wasn't my rugged handsomeness—which I doubt. Could _THE_ Lily Evans actually have exhibited concern for her supposed arch nemesis James Potter?"

"Could you please stop referring to yourself in the third person? It's very off-putting, and definitely not the style of "alluring sexiness" I'm sure you were going for."

"You find me alluringly sexy?" James asked eagerly.

Lily laughed. "No, that's just how I heard your little fanclub refer to that annoying little technique you do."

"Which one, the official or unofficial fanclub?"

Lily gaped at him. "You're serious? You actually have a real fanclub?"

"Two of them. An official one and unofficial one. I just said that. Really Lily, and I thought you were clever."

"You have—no wait, let me guess: it's Sirius' doing."

"Well we created the official one together. We collect dues and such. It was actually quite a brilliant idea. The unofficial one sprang up from it."

"What are the na—no, never mind, I don't really care."

"You know, if you want to join, I'm sure Padfoot and I could get you a discount."

"No thanks."

"OK, but I would recommend getting in on it now, we have a feeling the—"

"No." Lily said flatly, cutting him off.

"Fine. Your prerogative. Join the unofficial one, but you won't get the autographed—"

"I'm not going to join a James Potter Fanclub!" Lily cried out, stamping her foot in exasperation.

"Actually, it's the Potter and Black Joint Coalition of Sexiness." James corrected her.

Lily shook her head in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Well "The James Potter Fanclub" would be a pretty uncreative name, don't you think?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "As much as I loved this stroll down Idiocy Lane, I have to get going. Here." She proffered him a stack of books she had brought into the hospital wing.

James took the books, frown lines creasing his face. "What're these for?"

"Professor McGonagall told me to give you and Sirius the homework assignments she would be assigning for the week, along with the assignments for your other classes. So you won't be unprepared upon your return to the general student populace—a grandiose event which you will mark by great fanfare, I'm sure."

James blinked. "You came here to bring me homework." He said slowly, the realization sinking in. She hadn't come to see him. He felt his stomach clench.

"Yes." Lily replied matter-of-factly. "Don't ask me why McGonagall chose me to bring it, for I know not why either."

"That's the _only_ reason you came?"

Lily shrugged. "Well I guess it was nice to see you are alright. It wasn't horrible visiting anyway."

"Well, I'm glad it wasn't horrible to visit me in my time of suffering." He remarked, wryly.

Lily rolled her eyes again. "Oh stop it. You don't look like you're suffering horribly."

James lay back against his pillow, and closed his eyes. "Here comes another wave of pain…just hold on, it will only be a minute…I'll just brace myself…"

"Look, I suppose I'm glad you didn't die or anything. We actually got to have a civil conversation. And, honestly, you're just as melodramatic as Sirius sometimes. More so, I'd wager."

"Does it turn you on?"

Lily laughed outright, shaking her head, as she turned away to leave, not even dignifying that with an answer. "Goodbye, James."

As she walked away, James called out, "Lily, will you go out with me?"

"Goodbye, James." She said again, without turned around, waving absently in his direction.

"Lily, will you go out with me?" James repeated.

Lily paused at the doorway, turning back to face him. "Do you ever take a hint and give up?"

"No! I'm persistent! C'mon, Lily, go out with me!" James persisted.

"No!" Lily called back over her shoulder, before bursting into laughter once more.

James grinned as he watched her leave, hearing her laughter echo down the hall. _She wants me._

* * *

A/N: Sorry it took so long for the update! I had vacation immediately followed my next semester of college so things have been pretty crazy! It won't take that long for the next update, I assure you.


	4. Of Complaints and Conclusions

On Sunday night, James discovered that all screenings had come back negative for brain injuries, for which he was, of course, very thankful. He had worried secretly that he would be sent to St. Mungo's. It was a kind of nagging fear at the back of his mind which gave him a headache when he tried to read. He had to resort to aimlessly flipping through the Qudditch magazines Remus had apparently left for him while he was sleeping, glancing at the pictures of players zooming around the pitch.

_Mental note: Read that article about avoiding foul calls. It could come in handy for our team next game._

James had sat up eagerly at Madam Pomfrey's arrival, waiting to hear the findings. She had told him, point-blank, that: "Head injuries are extremely complicated, and need to be treated as such. An ailment that cannot simply be cured by the wave of a wand, no matter how much we may wish it. The brain is much too vital to just experiment on by fiddling with charms and incantations." When James had asked her if he would be sent to St. Mungo's for observations, he had received a rather cryptic "we'll wait and see," which didn't assuage his fears any.

* * *

That night, came another occurrence which should have been a good one, but turned out to be nearly unbearable; a true instance of being careful what one wishes for. James, as much as he had longed for Sirius' chatty companionship, was now regretting the wish gravely. After having been chastised thoroughly by Madam Pomfrey "to not injure yourself anymore by acting upon idiotic impulses of martyrdom", Sirius was given the allowance to talk again. After having to spend a little over 24 hours mute, he was using his newly returned right…to complain. James soon found himself thinking very dearly about reaching over and smothering Sirius with a pillow many times.

* * *

_Sirius complained about his bandages itching: "It feels like millions of little bugs are crawling around on my skin."_

"The bandages aren't really that bad, Padfoot!" James retorted. Besides, I have more than you anyway! Why are you complaining?"

"Because I don't like bugs, and I don't like bandages!"

"So why complain about them?"

"Because!"

James soon discovered that sometimes trying to sway someone using logic, when that person had illogical thought patterns, often was more of a hassle than it was worth.

* * *

_Sirius complained about the predominant color of the infirmary: "Sheets, walls, pillows, ceiling, why is it all white? Why not a nice red? Or puce?"_

"Er, it's something about the color…it's supposed to be soothing? Or clean? Something of that type."

"I don't like it! It's too boring!"

"Well, er…" James was at a loss for words.

"We need _color_! I swear I will go mad and run amok and paint the walls myself if they don't do something about the _white_!"

James snorted, and reached for his Transfiguration textbook. "Yes, do that Pads. Go paint the walls yourself. Pomfrey will appreciate it…well that, or she'll recommend you for a nice long stay in St. Mungo's. Go do it."

"Don't think I won't!"

* * *

_Sirius complained about boredom: "I'm so bored, Prongs. I can't do anything here! Stupid injuries. Prongggggsssss, I'm bored!"_

"Padfoot, I know. And I'm bored too. Why don't you read a book? Like me."

"Because books are boring! Why would you tell someone who's bored to do something boring? That will only make them more bored."

"Oh…how silly of me." James remarked wryly.

"I'm glad you acknowledge that. Only boring people do boring things and recommend bored people to be boring!"

James turned back to his book, eyebrows raised. "Ohh-kay. I'm sure there was some sense injected in there somewhere. Hopefully."

* * *

_Sirius complained about his ward-mate: "Prongs, stop reading! You're always reading, and I'm bored and want to do something. Entertain me! Plus, I'm starting to think you snore! Prongs!"_

James' nostrils flared. This was starting to get old, very quick. "I'm not here to entertain you! I'm here to recuperate!" He snapped, irritably.

"But you're being so _boring_! Be a mate! Be fun!"

"But I'm actually trying to get work done, and study."

* * *

_Sirius complained about the upcoming O.W.L.s: "We spend five years of our lives toiling at this school and it all comes down to how we do on one test! How unfair is that?"_

"Well you could study and then not have to complain about it." James suggested.

Sirius gaped at him. "I did not actually hear _my best friend_ say that—that abomination!"

James shrugged. "It was only a suggestion."

Sirius shook his head disconsolately. "I thought I knew you, mate. I thought I knew you."

* * *

_Sirius complained about James' lack of a sense of adventure: "What happened to you, mate? You used to be so much fun…now you're all bitter and quiet."_

"Sorry." James responded flatly. "I can't imagine why I'm bitter and quiet. Hey, Pads, you know silence isn't always a bad thing…"

Sirius whirled on him, jaw set, eyes narrowed. "Who are you and what have you done with Prongs?" Sirius demanded. "What is wrong with the Prongs I know and treasure dearly?"

James messaged his throbbing temples. "He's imaging himself unconscious, wishing for the calm and quiet that comas bring…"

_Mental note: Next time I get knocked unconscious when Sirius is also hurt, STAY unconscious_.

* * *

_Sirius, just for variety, complained about the food he was given: "Everything is liquid! If I wanted nourishment from liquid, I'd drink water! I want real, solid food!" _

James declined to comment, and went back to his Transfiguration homework.

_Mental note: Check with Dumbledore to see if maybe I transfigure him into something…something that can't talk…I won't get in trouble. I'm sure I won't get in trouble. Who would blame me? Hmm…maybe I'll get an award for Special Services to the School…_

"Prongs! Are you even listening to me? Pronnnnggggssssss!"

* * *

_Sirius complained about his ward-mate's respective silence: "Why are you always thinking? Talk to me! I bet you're thinking about Lily, aren't you?"_

James sighed…and began to think about Lily. _Mental note: If I transfigure him into something Lily would like, I can give him to her. Then I would be not only doing a public service, I would be helping myself to some peace and quiet, and I would win Lily over with my charm and my unique gift…_

"Stop thinking! It's not good to be so quiet and thinking all of the time. It'll lead to exhaustion…exhaustion of the brain, I'm sure!"

"Uh huh, yeah, Pads…" _Lily definitely wants me. I know she does. I mean, she must, right? It would be…unnatural if she didn't._

"—if your brain got all overloaded with thoughts and exploded, it would spray on me and—"

_She didn't even yell at me this time. Or throw things. Or knock me unconscious…although that might be preferable to my ordeal today. Actually, she was laughing! And smiling at me!_

"—must save you from your fate, Prongs! I will take it upon myself as a personal duty! Prongs! You're thinking about her again, while I'm trying to save you from a most grisly fate. Honestly, I feel as if all of my good deeds go unnoticed!"

_Lily has the prettiest smile…and her eyes are so…nice. She's got very nice eyes. The nicest..._

* * *

_Sirius complained about Lily: "I can't believe she brought us homework! Of all the things to bring someone in the hospital? How can you like her? I bet if you went out on a date she'd take you to a study group!"_

"Hospital wing." James corrected. "It's not like you're in St. Mungo's or something. And I don't think Lily would do that…or, I hope not."

"She would, Prongs, I wouldn't put it past her. Were I you, I'd be on my guard."

"I'm sure she wouldn't take me to a study group for a _date_. And actually you're giving her too much credit. She'd have to say yes to a date with me first."

Sirius, eyes narrowed, stared at him shrewdly and suspiciously. "You would, wouldn't you?"

"Would what?"

"Go to study with her if she asked you to do that for a date!"

"Don't be stupid, Padfoot." James paused, but felt compelled to add, "Do you really think she'd ask me to study with her?"

"Traitor!" Sirius roared. "I will die with the shock and disappointment of it all!"

"And that would be such a pity." James murmured.

* * *

_Sirius complained about his injuries in general: "I can only use one eye. It's weird. It's like being a pirate, but it sucks and I don't get a nice booty after I put on my eyepatch."_

By now, James' fingers were twitching in the direction of his pillow, itching to grab the normally soft, fluffy, comforting object and use it to smother his best friend. Well, not kill him, of course—that would be the thought of an insane person, not someone as calm and rational a creature as James—just knock him out. For a little while. Just enough so that they could both get some peace.

_Mental note:_ _Padfoot does love to sleep. He absolutely hates waking up in the morning. So really, if I, well facilitated sleep for him, he would be grateful. And if that state of his slumber happens to aid me in the process, well then so be it._

* * *

_And, of course, Sirius complained about having to be in the hospital wing at all, and vehemently protested the fact that every other person in the hospital wing was allowed to leave the before he was, no matter how many times Madam Pomfrey tried explaining about the extent and seriousness of his injuries._

After about the first several hours or so of this, Madam Pomfrey got so tired of this that she cast a Silencing Charm on him. Sirius was forced to revert back to his horrible, hopeless attempt at charades to articulate all of the complaints he had not had time to verbally articulate. James almost felt sorry for him, almost. Well, not really.

James was at peace. Finally. And he would not trade the silence for all the Galleons in all the world.

* * *

And so James learned the true meaning of the phrase"silence is golden", and how sometimes unconsciousness is preferable to spending a night in the hospital wingwith Sirius. Sirius discovered that the ability to speak must not go unused or taken for granted, along with the fact that he was abyssmally horrid at charades, despite his penchant for making wild, overdramatic gestures. Lily found that James was not as intolerable as she had previously believed, at least not when he was recuperating from head injuries. And Madam Pomfrey? Well, she learned that she never wanted to keep Sirius for a prolonged stay in the hospital wing _ever again_.

Everyone was affected by that fateful night in the hospital wing with Sirius. And what will come of that? Well, that remains to be seen.

* * *

A/N: So, what did you all think of the story? Was it an OK ending? Should I write more short pieces like this? Please, read and review, as it is my first completed piece of HP fanfic.


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